A Thousand Words
by quartz cuboid
Summary: My first songfic about the ending of Final Fantasy VIII, using Koda Kumi's Sen no Kotoba.


Kibou no Tenshi Just wanted to write a songfic…after listening to 1000 no Kotoba! Now, this is my first attempt at a songfic, so please tell me how I can improve and so forth. Thanks and read! Oh yeah, I will be using Jade's version, by the way.

A Thousand Words

[This is my version of the battle against Ultimecia and the scene after, edited a tiny bit.]

Darkness. Bleak emptiness in her heart. At the final obstacle, the final test. The girl stood with her friends, afraid. Fearing for her life, fearing for their lives. She looked at the young man beside her, looking unafraid, looking up at the one, the one who created the chaos they hated, the one who created fear. Ultimecia. The last challenge. Nervousness overtook the usually calm girl. Dark feathers fell to the floor as "she" stood from the throne.

"Prepare to meet your doom."

_I know that you're hiding things…_

The ring on her neck was cold. It stung her and she grabbed it, tightly. Her body was shaking, her fists clenched. He drew out his gunblade, never stained despite the numerous battles and the lack of polishing. The other two chosen ones took out their weapons respectively, one armed with a long whip and the other prepared his fists. He noticed the shaking girl.

"Don't worry. Everything will be all right." 

_Using gentle words to shelter me…_

She closed her eyes. He was never like that. Caring.

_Your words were like a dream…_

_But dreams could never fool me…_

Reality hit her. Her friends might never return. More importantly, the one she loved, the one she made a pact with, might disappear forever. Her eyes slowly opened, her long lashes ascending through the murky air, her bright eyes exposed.

_Not that easily._

There was no turning back to this point. Finally, she let them fall. The streams of crystal clear tears flowed down her pale cheeks, till they reached the ground. As each tear fell, a new slash in her heart was added, increasing the pain. She looked at the ground, unable to turn her head up to look at the three team mates and friends for the last time.

_I acted so distant then…_

Thinking. Thinking of those memories, those dreams, and the promise. Thinking of the time she ignored Squall because of a cold word. Would she now, she didn't know. Finally, the time came. He looked at her. She kept her head down.

_Didn't say good-bye before you left…_

He was muttering something softly under his breath.

_But I was listening…_

"I fought all my battles for you, near or far, let alone this one."

_You'll fight your battles far from me…_

He started to take a step forward, turning behind to see them. To see her.

_Far too easily._

_  
_One step to living hell. For her, For him. Living hell. A heart broken, many tears shed. A sharp blade preparing for its final use eternally, if he didn't survive. He couldn't bear the separation. Rinoa. The pact.

_" Save your tears 'cause I'll come back," _

Rinoa looked up. Squall's mouth was starting to close, his eyes floating over to the fragile figure of the brunette.

_I could hear that you whispered as you walked through that door…_

The thoughts were still churning inside her brain. Memories. Precious memories. The time Selphie broke her promise to have a day together because of SeeD Training. She wandered around the garden that day, feeling lonely, with no one to talk to or be with. Squall kept her company that day, even though he only used monosyllables to answer her questions and she threw a bowl of whipped cream at him. Squall went with her to the library, to Dollet, to Balamb, to Shumi Village, to almost anywhere. But now, she could only walk alone. Her tears were falling again. No, she told herself.

_But still I swore…_

She finally lifted her head. The corners of her mouth slowly turned up, rather forcefully, into a gentle, teary smile at Squall. His stern expression became a little gentler.

_To hide the pain as I turned back the pages…_

He walked. His gunblade was shining, as if glittering at the prospect of a battle. He walked to the battlefield. Zell and Quistis slowly followed. They were like part of the background. Stuck there. Frozen. But moving. With each step, her urge to shout out," Don't go!" was even more.

_Shouting might have been the answer…_

She felt like letting all her tears flow out and throw a tantrum, pleading for him, pleading with Ultimecia for world peace, pleading for their lives.

_What if I cried my eyes out and begged you not to depart?_

Her heart pounded hard against her chest. She felt like it was going to tear through her clothes any moment, thumping so hard she felt that she could hear it. That's it, Rinoa. She told herself. It's now or never. She took a step forward, her boots hitting the ground hard.

_But now I'm not afraid to say what's in my heart…_

"I love you."

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The words flew out of her mouth, like sunshine shining on cold stone. He stopped, seemingly stunned by her words. Zell and Quistis looked at Rinoa in amazement, staring at her, jaws dropped slightly. Selphie just stared at Squall. Irvine opened his mouth to say something, but kept his peace and adjusted his cowboy hat, obviously worn. Warm were those three words, Squall felt the cold in his heart fading slightly. A sense of pure, innocent happiness overtook him. He turned back once more.

Rinoa gasped, then smiled, a wider smile than before, tear stains left on her pale cheeks. She ran.

A smile.

He opened his arms wide, stretched them towards the running figure, dropping the silver blade on the floor in the process. Soon, she found herself buried in the black fabric of the jacket, laughing and crying as well, using his white shirt as a cloth to dry her tears. A unknown, yet familiar sounding laughter filled the air. He had laughed. She felt his arms tighten, the gloves pressing against her tender skin. She breathed in his scent. Coffee beans. The thick aroma floated to her nostrils. She felt warmth and comfort, and she felt words pouring through her in his hug, she felt communication in a different way. He was telling her he would be back with his arms wrapped tightly around her, she felt language pouring between them. Words were not needed. They could communicate.

A smile. A smile that held a thousand words.

She remained in his embrace, words flowing through them, talking, but not verbally.

_'Cause a thousand words,_

_Called out through the ages,_

_They'll fly to you,_

_Even thought I can't see,_

_I know they're reaching you,_

_Suspended on silver wings…._

Squall felt strangely revitalized. As she stayed in his arms, he felt vigour and renewed strength pouring into him, refreshing him, his worn out, exhausted body replaced with a energetic, fresh one. Ultimecia was standing, tall and strong. Suddenly he felt lost. Weak. Helpless. He hugged her even tighter, pressing into her skin.

Zell and Quistis were screaming, yet the couple couldn't hear the words, Irvine was loading his gun, yet they didn't notice. Selphie was crying out to them, worried. Yet they didn't hear, oblivious of their surroundings. Suddenly she let go.

"Go, Squall. Come back later and look for me, 'kay?" He stared. Slowly nodded. Picked up the gunblade lying on the hard ground, still and lifeless.

And he ran.

_Oh a thousand words…_

He felt the murky wind was Rinoa's arms, holding him gently, whispering "Don't be afraid" in his ears. He ran the remaining distance.

_One thousand embraces…_

The battlefield. He felt himself drown in the breeze which carried him, like a baby falling into a cot to sleep, even though the air was murky. He could not feel his legs pumping up and down, he could not feel his hands holding the blade in an attack position. He could not hear Quistis casting spells nor the steady sounds of Zell's punches. Only the sound of the wind was heard.

_Will cradle you…_

He fought, the wind by his side, swishing, his brown hair flying. Blood was dripping. Dripping to the cold ground of the battlefield, staining it crimson red. Breathlessness caught him. He gasped, panting. The urge to give up, to give his life was strong. Rinoa. The words.

"Go, Squall. Come back later and look for me, 'kay?"

Rinoa.

"I fought all my battles for you, near or far, let alone this one."

Him.

A gentle breeze blew across his face, feeling his cuts, drying the blood. No, he thought. I can't give up. She's waiting for me. For my return.

He charged at Ultimecia like a wild bull, swinging his blade in the air, leaping up in the cloudy sky. He felt nothing, he only could remember her words. His blade was high up in the air.

_Making all of your weary days seem faraway…_

_They'll hold you forever…_

"Lionheart!"

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Darkness. Then Rinoa saw light. Everyone was running, everyone was in the light with her. She saw everyone. Everyone. Then she noticed.

"Squall!"

Time compression. She couldn't think straight. Her mind was on Squall. Squall wasn't there. The light was blinding. She walked. She ran. There seemed to be no end. Running, walking, it made no difference. There was no distance.

Lost.

"Squall!"

She looked around. Nothing. The others have disappeared as well.

In a place.

A place she didn't know of. A flower garden. Lush green grass and small cute flowers suited in a place like this.

Run.

Run.

Just run.

Her legs guided her. She ran. The rings flew up. She caught them in mid air, staring at them. Her footsteps slowed, and came to a trot, finally to a halt. She looked at the rings. Squall's ring and hers. She clenched her fist, tightly, around the cold metal, successfully preventing the next batch of tears from flowing out freely. She looked up into the sky. Dark, murky. The hope of finding Squall was still there. The rings seemed to burn her hand with its coldness.

She moved on.

He sat on the rocky ground of the platform somewhere in time. His eyes were weary, tired. He looked around for his companions. Or rather, Rinoa. Suddenly he saw a flash of blue.

"Rinoa?"

The flash of blue sprouted white feathery wings, standing with her back facing him. She looked just like an illustration of an angel, a beautiful pure angel. Squall abruptly stood up, shakily, strongly believing this female figure was Rinoa. She turned. Squall held his breath.

Her face. He could not make out who she was.

Who is she? Anonymous. Unknown. It hit him all of a sudden.

Isn't she…Rinoa? What…why…why is her face like that?

A void filled his brain. Memories rushed through him like a tidal wave.

Seifer? Garden? Rinoa? The dance? Rings? Quistis? Zell? Selphie? Irvine? Ultimecia? …Rinoa!?

She was shattering into tiny fragments, shattering in front of Squall's naked eyes. Shattering. Breaking. A thousand pieces. Words. Promise.

"Go, Squall. Come back later and look for me, 'kay?"

Her voice rang out from somewhere, repeating itself in his head. His heart was throbbing hard. Rinoa. Shattered. Gone. Just a part of memories.

No.

Head turned heavenward.

Mouth opened wide.

A single, white feather fell.

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Silence. Darkness. The air totally still. A figure walked on. Boots hit the uneven surface, making a loud thud each time. The rings on the slender neck clinked against each other, making a steel, cold sound. She was walking. Walking without a care, without a doubt. Just walking.

Walking.

Until she saw someone.

_Oh a thousand words…_

She looked.

Squall.

_Have never been spoken…_

She bent down. Looked at his face. Tired, weary, pale. She gently held the side of his neck.

_They'll fly to you…_

She lifted his upper back and crouched, putting him on her thigh, examining him. His eyes were closed, he didn't move a single inch, he looked serene. She moved her right hand to his chocolate coloured hair and stroked the side of his face.

"Squall….don't scare me."

No response.

_They'll carry you home…_

"Squall! No…you promised! Don't leave me…don't break that promise! Wake up!"

The hope was fading away with each call of his name. Finally, one last attempt.

She swiftly hugged him with her hands, grabbing him tight.

"Wake up…just wake up…please…"

_And back into my arms…_

She put her head on his chest, near to sobbing, feeling him close to her.

_Suspended on silver wings…_

A burst of sweet scent.

The parting of the black clouds.

Light was flowing out, filling the dark bleak dimension.

Rinoa looked up.

Petals were flying all around, the breeze carrying them.

The clouds were parting, exposing the blue sky layered with white clouds above.

The place turned into a field, with flowers here and there. Amazed, Rinoa stared at her surroundings. It was beautiful.

She diverted her gaze to Squall.

Her expression changed, from worried to surprised, yet happy.

She just smiled, near to tears of joy.

The whirling of petals.

The white feathers.

_--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

_And a thousand words,_

_Called out through the ages…_

_Will cradle you…_

_Turning all of the lonely years to only days…_

_They'll hold you forever…_

"Squall, look at the balcony."

A happy face.

Two happy faces.

Two happy faces close.

Together.

_A thousand words…_

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Kibou no Tenshi Finally done. And credits to :

FFX2.net for lyrics (1000 words by Jade from Sweetbox)

Yes, that's all. And if you want, credits to Square for FFVIII. =p Please review and tell me how I could improve! Thanks! Bye!


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